The aphorism “know thyself” has fuelled self-discovery for millenia, stretching back to Ancient Egypt. The phrase, favoured by Socrates, was even allegedly inscribed at the Ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi. More recently, depth psychology encourages exploring the unconscious aspects of the Self, to uncover the richness that resides within.

In this episode I discuss why self-connection is an essential catalyst in the process of growth. Discovering the universe within — with all its nuances, patterns, shadow and beauty — ignites the journey of wisdom. Embarking on this journey requires a skilled approach to self-enquiry, to begin to understand: Who are you, really?

How do you overcome temptation, build new habits, and behave and express authentically? How do you move from daydreaming to action? How do you change your life?

Most of us view change as all-or-nothing. But this linear approach of success and failure makes it difficult to create lasting change.

In this episode I explore an alternative — the Stages of Change Model of behavioural change. Struggling to stop drinking alcohol? Struggling to go to the gym regularly? Looking to overcome ego-temptation and live from the heart?

Crucially, these stages are cyclical and every-changing. The stages are:

Pre-contemplation.

Contemplation.

Preparation.

Action.

Maintenance.

Termination.

This model is a useful tool to apply to all areas of life. It promotes a balanced, realistic approach to significant change. After all, self-actualisation authenticity require continuous change in all areas of life. But it all begins with small steps.

Perfectionism is defined as a “combination of excessively high personal standards and overly-critical self-evaluation.”

This episode focuses on perfectionist tendencies with emotions. Beliefs such as “I should always be happy,”“anxiety is weakness,” or “normal people don’t feel so low” fuel feelings of frustration, shame, or hopelessness.

In truth, common concepts of healthy emotionality is skewed, in favour of positivity and fear of so-called negative emotions.

I unpack emotional perfectionism and it’s various guises (self-oriented, socially prescribed and other-orientated) and offer applicable solutions to move towards a place of acceptance and self-compassion.

October the 10th is World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is suicide prevention. Every 40 seconds, someone in the world dies by suicide. This has to change.

Mental health stigma is reducing. But it’s still incredibly tough to talk openly about suicidal tendencies. We may feel shame. We may feel burdensome. We may want to avoid worrying or upsetting those we love.

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What if psychological crises were opportunities for spiritual awakening? That’s the question that motivated Phil Borges to direct his documentary, Crazywise. While documenting indigenous and tribal cultures for over 30 years, he realised the healers and visionaries had each undergone a personal transformation our culture may label a breakdown, psychotic, crazy… Unlike in the West, these “disorders” are seen as gifts.

Phil’s Ted Talk on the subject has nearly 2 million views, and it’s easy to see why. Having watched Crazywise on a friend’s recommendation, I was eager to talk to Phil. I wasn’t disappointed — our discussion in MindThatEgo Podcast #5 was fascinating. We cover diagnosis, peer-support, the overuse of prescription drugs, hearing voices, authenticity, and much more.

On a personal level, our discussion was extremely emotional. I’ve shared a few things not many people know about my own crisis, particularly around grief and psychosis. Phil was open-hearted about his experiences, too. It’s a conversation that will no doubt stay with me for a while.